Aerial landing and launching appliance.



F. STEFFAN.

AERIAL LANDING AND LAUNCHING APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1914.

l 1%,5@5D Patented June 29, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET L F.STEFFAN.

AERIAL LANDING AND LAUNCHlNG APPLIANCE APPLICATION FILED 3.18, 19 14. 1,144,5Q5 Patented June 29, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FRANK STEFFAN, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

AERIAL LANDING AND LAUNCHING APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgdl J ne 29, 19115.

Application filed February 18, 1914. Serial No. 819,402.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK STEFFAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Diego, innthe county of San Diego and State of California, have invented a new and useful Device in Aerial Landing and Launching Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to appliances for landing and launching aerial craft without requiring the craft to rest on the earth or other support beneath it, and which provides for such craft to be mounted thereon when desired by the operator and also provides automatic means for holding the craft securely while supported by such appliance, and provides an automatic means for releasing the craft when desiring to launch same; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a simple, effective and safe means for landing and launching aerial craft; second, to provide a simple and economical means for landing said craft without endangering the craft or the occupants thereof; third, to provide a safe and novel means for lowering said craft to the earth or other support when desired; fourth, to provide such a means that may be readily adjusted to suit the different weights of air-craft, and fifth, to provide such a means that may be installed on ships, towers or other places of like nature,

With these and such other objects in view as will appear, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the. accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a partof this specification, in which:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a portion of a tower showing a portion of my aerial landing and launching appliance mounted thereon, a part of said device being shown in cross-section to more readily illustrate its structure; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the support portion of my device showing various details; Fig. 3 is a detailed elevational view showing the gear portion for revolving the boom; Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the end of the arm or hanger; Fig. 5 is a similar view at right angles thereto; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a portion of my appliance showing the pulley and other details for lowering the arm and controlling the same; Fig. 7 is a view of the same parts taken at right angles thereto; Fig. 8 is a view of an aeroplane showing, mounted in elevation thereon, the portion of my device for catchlng on the hanger of the other pornon of my device; Fig. 9 is a plan view of the top portion of said catching device; Fig. 10 is avertical sectional view of said catching device; and Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the upper portion of said catching device, showing the releasing device, engaged in firm lines, and disengaged, in dotted lines.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My aerial landing and launching appliance consists of a base portion 2, boom 7, top mast 1, hanger arm 7, catching arm a, release hook c, release trigger f and shock absorbing spring (Z. The base portion 2 is circular in form and adapted to be mounted on a tower or other support. Revolubly mounted in 2 is a revolving member 4. Between the members 2 and 4 are provided ball-bearings 5 to facilitate the revolution of 4. 2 is provided on its upper surface with a cogged circular member 2". 4 is provided at its center with a socket 2 in which is rigidly mounted the mast 1* in a vertical position. Rigidly mounted in the tower immediately below 1 is the member 6 provided on its upper end with a friction clutch member 3 and in the raised portion of P is a lever 53", adapted to operate said friction clutch to regulate the rotation of 4. Rigidly and horizontally mounted in the upper surface of 4 is a boom 7, and similarlymounted, but opposite to 7 is another boom 8*. Also mounted on 4, immediately above 7 is a drum 8'. On 7 near its outer end is mounted a pulley 9 Revolubly mounted on 7 near its point of attachment to 4" is the member 10, and pivotally mounted in 10 is the curved arm 7. The arm 7 is provided at its end with a curved and tapering portion or tip 12 adapted to fit into a jaw 13 mounted on the extending end of 7. The jaw 13 is adapted to hold the arm 7. Pivotally mounted on 7 adjacent to 13 is a keeper 13 adapted for pre venting the tip 12 from escaping from 13. Attached to the arm 7 at 14 is a cable 15 which passes through the pulley 9 and pulley 16 and is connected to the drum 8*, and is adapted for raising and lowering the arm 7. On the boom 8 is mounted a counterweight 34. The jaw 13 is provided with an eye 17 through which passes a cable 3 which is attached to the keeper 13 at 4 and runs to the station of the operator on 4 and is adapted for closing the keeper 13 on the jaw- 13%. Another cable 14 is attached to pins 5 on said jaw and extends to a lever 12 mounted on 4. This lever 1s adapted for releasing the keeper 13". .The pins 5 are attached to slidingbolts 23 provided with springs 26 for pushing sa d bolts into position to hold'the keeper 13 in position. Provided on 7 adjacent to pulley 9 is an eye .27 adapted for the attaching of tie cable 10 which passes. through a hole in the upper end of the mast 1 to the end of the boom 8, where it is attached at 6. Mounted on 4 is a sprocket wheel 19 provided with a crank 33. Below sprocket wheel 19, also mounted on 4, is a gear wheel 31 adapted for revolving 4:. Operatively connected to gear wheel 31 1s sprocket wheel 21 and connecting sprocket wheel 19 with sprocket gear 21 is the chain 20-. This gearing is adapted to revolve 4 on 2 The catching arm, a. is mounted on the top of the air-craft and is of a sufficient size so that the extending end thereof will project several feet beyond the plane of the craft, thus being in view of the operator of the craft, and is adapted to catch on arm 7. This arm, a, is U-shaped, opening toward the front with the free end curved upward. The other end and ,portion of the side are attached to the craft by the rods 2'-. These rods 71 are mounted in coil springs j adapted to ease the shock on the catching arm, a, when making a landing. The arm, a, is provided with a member, I), concentrically curved therewith and located in front of the inner curve of arm a. It is mounted on arm, a, at each of its ends in coil springs (Z and is adapted to act as a shock absorber. Rigidly mounted on the outer part of arm a on its free portion, is the release hook c. This hook, 0, opens toward the rear of the craft and is adapted to be hooked over arm 7. It is provided with a locking member 0? adapted to prevent its escaping from the arm 7. In connection with this locking member 0 is provided the trigger 7 adapted to hold said locking member in its locked position until released by the operator of the craft. This trigger f is provided on its upper end with a lug adapted to engage with said member a and is pivotally mounted at its lower end so that it will move into and out of engagement with 0 It is also provided with a spring 9 adapted to force it into position for engagement with 0. Attached to the trigger fiat its upper end, is a cable 71, which extends to the operator in the craft, and is adapted to release the trigger f, thereby allowing the locking member 0 to take the position of the dotted lines, shown best in Fig. 11, permitting the hook 0 to pass off of the arm 7.

To operate my landing and launching appliance, the arm 7 is brought in position where the extended end thereof is fastened in the jaw 13. The craft approaches the arm at or nearly at right angles thereto, so that the catching arm, a, will engage with said arm 7. The momentum of the craft will force it to travel on the arm 7 to its outer end which will cause 4* to revolve on 2 subject to the effect of the friction clutch 3. When it is desired to deposit the craft on the earth or other location, the kee er 13 is released by means of the cable 14: e-

iug operated by lever 12, when the arm 7 may be lowered by slacking the cable 15 on the drum 8", thus allowing the craft to descend to the desired location. After the craft is lowered to this location the arm 7 is placed in the release hook c, and the locking device 0 is placed in engagement with the trigger f, and the arm 7 is then raised by means of cable 15 until the tip 12 of said arm rests in the jaw 13*. The keeper 13 is drawn into position by the cable 3 thereby locking said arm 7 in the jaw 13*. When the operator desires to launch his craft he starts his engine and. in order to release his craft from arm 7. he pulls on the cable thereby releasing the trigger f, allowing the lock ng device 0 to drop out of position, leaving the craft free to pass out of engagement with the arm 7.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combi nation and arrangement, but desire to include in the purview of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Haying thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the class described the combination of a rigidly mounted base, a member revolubly mounted in said base, a horizontal member rigidly Secured tosaid revolubly mounted member, a curved arm pivotally and revolublv mounted at its one end on said horizontal member and means for raising and lowering one end of said curved arm.

2. ln 8. device of the class described the combination of a rigidly mounted base, a revolving member mounted in said base, a horizontal member mounted on said revolv mg member, a curved arm pivotally and revolubly mounted at its one end on said horizontal member, and means for raising and lowering one end of said curved arm.

3. In a device of the class described thecombination of a rigidly mounted base, a revolving member mounted in said base, a horizontal member mounted on said revolving member, a curved arm pivotally and revolubly mounted at its one end on said horizontal member, a catch means on the other end of said horizontal member, means on the extended end of said curved arm adapted to engage with said catch means.

4. In a device of the class described the combination of a rigidly mounted base, .a

revolving member mounted in said base, a

mounted in said horizontal member mounted on said revolving member, a curved arm pivotally and revolubly mounted at its one end on-said horizontal member, means on the extended end of said curved arm adapted to engage with said catch means, means on said horizontal member adapted to hold said end of said curved arm in engagementwith said catch means and a means for operating said catch means.

5. In a device of the kind described, a rigidly mounted base, a revolving member base, a means for controlling said revolving member mounted thereon, a horizontal member mounted on said revolving member, a curved arm pivotally and revolubly mounted at its one end on said horizontal member, a catch means on the other end of said horizontal member, means on the extended end of said curved arnr adapted to engage with said catch means, means on said horizontal member to hold said end of said curved arm in engagement with said catch means, and a means for o erating said catch means.

6. n a device of the class described the combination of a rigidly mounted base, a

volubly mounted at its one end on said horizontal member, means on the extended end of said curved arm adapted to engage with said catch means, means on said horizontal member adapted to hold said end of said curved arm in engagement with said catch means, a means for operating said catch means, and an air ship provided with means for engaging with said curved member.

7. In a device of the class described the combination with a revolubly mounted arm with one end adapted to be raised and lowered, of an air-craft, means mounted on said air-craft adapted to engage with said arm and means for controlling the movement of said arm.

8. In a device of the class described the combination of a stationary base member, another member revolubly mounted therein, means mounted thereon for controlling the revoluble movement of said last mentioned member, a horizontal arm similarly mounted on the opposite side of said revoluble member for counter-balancing the weight of the craft when on the other arm, a means piv- 

